Bio: Erin Clemens
你好! (Ni hao!)
Hello, everybody! My name is Erin Clemens and I will be spending time this summer at Soochow University in Suzhou, China. I am really looking forward to studying Chinese language, history and culture in this beautiful setting, in addition to traveling throughout China and Hong Kong!
(Suzhou is a gorgeous and historic city along the Yangtze River that has played a large part in Chinese history. This region of the country is known for its cuisine, culture, historic gardens, architecture, waterways and shopping—all of which I plan to explore to the extreme!)
Even though I have grown up alongside WVU here in the hills of West Virginia, I chose to attend this school because of the many unique opportunities it offers to explore a wide range of interests and abilities in some of the most beautiful geography in the world. My grandfather, sister, stepfather and mother are all WVU graduates (my mother is currently a PhD student in Psychology!), so now we’re trying to convince my two younger brothers to follow in our footsteps and become proud Mountaineers!
I am a senior majoring in English and International Studies – East Asia, minoring in Native American Studies and Chinese Studies. I am involved with several student organizations on campus, but two of my favorites are the Organization for Native American Interests – ONAI (President) and the Chinese Club (PR Officer). I also teach a weekly ESL advanced conversation class for the local non-profit Literacy Volunteers.
I love to travel and experience new things! My first time abroad was as an exchange student during high school in Hamamatsu, Japan—an experience that has set the course for much of my life today. I also spent part of 2006 living in Belfast, Northern Ireland and have been lucky enough to travel throughout Europe and Canada as well. I have also been able to travel extensively throughout the United States, having the additional pleasure of spending time on several Native American reservations in the North American continent.
Apart from traveling, some of my other favorite things to do include writing and photography. I like to mix up genres in my work and blur the boundaries between disciplines. I maintain my own website and will be publishing some of my work over the next year. I will be exhibiting some of my works and photos-yet-to-be-taken from this study abroad come September at Sozo in downtown Morgantown. Please stop by on the opening night to say hello! I’d love to meet you!
I would also love to hear from students and friends back home while I am in Asia this summer, so drop me a line on my blog or my website. I’ll be posting extra photos and assorted bits and pieces there throughout my stay!
Take care and thank you for traveling with me! I think it’ll be a great time!
Check out all of my posts here.
再见! (Zaijian!)